Project: Tre Ifan, Caergeiliog

Company: Paramount Structures

Sector: Residential

Technology: Timber Frame

Ty Unnos_ ‘a house in one night’ is a joint collaboration research project that commenced in 2007 between Coed Cymru and the Welsh School of Architecture, with commercial partners Paramount Structures and Kenton Jones Construction, to assess the use of homegrown softwood in the construction industry.

The count council of the Isle of Anglesey is 1 of 11 stock retaining local authorities in Wales providing affordable housing for rent. They commenced house building in 2015, applying for and successfully awarded funding in Year 2 of the Innovative Housing Programme. They also declared a Climate Emergency in September 2020 backing plans to achieve a carbon neutral public sector by 2030.

The site is the small village of Caergeiliog in North-west Anglesey, and is an existing development of council owned homes – Tre Ifan Estate. Previous planning enquiries proposed a development of 6 semi-detached homes.

The project’s aim was to encourage investment in the Welsh forests and timber industries through the use of homegrown Welsh softwood in the delivery of affordable, sustainable and high-quality housing.

  • Use resources from the Wales Forest Estate to obtain maximum multiple benefit during the growing life and product life providing education, employment, healthy and efficient homes, and lock in carbon.
  • Promote Welsh Government strategy and legislation on ‘wellbeing’, the ‘environment’ and ‘natural resources’ by planting, growing and using trees to provide a truly sustainable environment, economy and society.
  • Create a partnership between the public sector and the timber industry to add value to locally grown Welsh timber.
  • Create healthy, energy efficient, high quality and affordable homes that promote design quality and adaptability and comply with Welsh Design Quality Requirements.
  • At Anglesey specifically the brief set a performance objective of EPC 96A
Share this article